Graffiti
by AliasCWN
Summary: There is a graffiti artist running around the base and Captain Boggs wants him caught.


**Graffiti**

By: AliasCWN

Tully and Hitch took the jeeps to the motor pool and parked them side by side out of the way. They filled the gas and water cans and did a through inventory of their other supplies. Anything they could get without a requisition form was restocked; the rest went on a list to give to Troy. With their jeeps taken care of, they took their list and headed for headquarters.

"Hey Tully, look!" Hitch pointed to some graffiti painted on the side of a building.

"Looks like Kilroy was here." Tully grinned.

"That's the first one I've seen since we landed in North Africa." Hitch laughed. "They were all over the ship on the way over here."

"I've seen a few here and there." Tully answered as he continued walking. "It used to drive the officers nuts when they started appearing all over the place."

"Hey Tully."

"No!" Tully shook his head. "We're not going to start putting Kilroy's around all over the base."

"What can it hurt?"

"I told you, it drives the officers nuts."

"Exactly." Hitch grinned.

"Sarge would have out heads." Tully threw Hitch a glance that made his feelings on the matter plain. "Sarge would make us scrub off every one he found on the entire base. Besides, we don't have time to fool around doing that stuff."

"It only takes a minute." Hitch argued. "How long can it take to draw a face looking over a wall with a big nose and fingers?"

"It's not how long it takes to draw it." Tully explained. "It's how long it takes to clean them up if you get caught."

Hitch made a face. "So don't get caught."

"Didn't you learn anything the last time we got caught pulling a prank?"

"Yeah." Hitch replied with a nod. "Don't get caught."

"Yeah right, like you're so good at that. If ten guys did it and only one got caught, you'd be the one who got caught." Tully shook his head and picked up the pace. "Come on, we have to meet Sarge and Doc. They're going to want to get Captain Boggs to sign these requisitions before we head out to mess."

"Yeah you're right; Sarge won't like it if we keep them waiting." Hitch increased his pace to keep up with Tully. "But I still think it could be fun. Where would you put a Kilroy if you were going to draw one?"

"Forget it Hitch, I don't want any part of it."

Troy and Moffitt were still with Captain Boggs when the two privates announced their arrival.

"Did you get everything restocked?" Troy asked as his men joined them.

"All but the stuff we need to requisition." Tully answered, handing him the list.

The sergeant glanced at it and handed it to the Captain. "If your clerk could fill out the forms and you could sign them Captain."

The Captain didn't even look at the list. "Corporal Gates!"

The Captain's clerk put his head in the door to answer the call.

The Captain handed him the list. "Fill out requisition forms for all of these supplies and get the forms to me to sign right away."

"Yes sir." The corporal took the list to his desk and began filling out the forms. His typewriter clacked in the background as Captain Boggs had Tully close the door.

"All right Sergeant, I'll give you the details of your next assignment."

By the time the Captain finished his briefing the requisition forms were ready to be signed. The officer added his signature and handed them to Troy. "Good luck Sergeant, I'll see you back here in three or four days."

Once outside Troy handed the forms to Hitch. "You two get these filled and get the stuff packed away as soon as we're done eating. Moffitt and I are going to see if we can get a copy of the latest updates for our maps. Maybe we can pick up a bit of information while we're there. Sometimes those office rumors are more accurate than the stuff they give us. I want everyone to turn in early so we can get an early start tomorrow."

"Right Sarge."

"What have we here?" Moffitt paused to study the graffiti that Hitch had spotted earlier. "You Yanks are borrowing from us Brits again I see."

"What do you mean Doc?" Hitch asked, looking at the drawing of Kilroy on the wall.

"This drawing." The sergeant pointed to the graffiti. "First you borrow our language, and thoroughly butcher it I might add, and now this."

"We didn't butcher it," Hitch insisted, "we improved it. It's more colorful now. And what does that have to do with Kilroy?"

"That may be what you call it but we called it Chad or Mr. Chad. The figure you call Kilroy was used in my country as early as 1938. I believe he is the brainchild of a British cartoonist named George Edward Chatterton."

"Really? So you think Kilroy is English?"

"Not at all dear boy." Moffitt scoffed in a haughty tone. "Kilroy is definitely American, Mr. Chad is English. But they do look enough alike to be brothers."

Hitch smiled at Moffitt's lofty tone. While he knew the arrogance was all a put on, it seemed to fit the circumstances. "So you're saying that Kilroy is actually Mr. Chad and he's English? Do you think he's working undercover?"

Moffitt laughed. "Kilroy is American. Mr. Chad is English." He repeated. "You Yanks have just misidentified the bloke."

Tully laughed. "How come the British Army doesn't use this Mr. Chad?"

"They do actually." Moffitt dropped his pretense of annoyance and fell into his teacher mode. "The British Army, or rather the British people, uses Mr. Chad to draw attention to shortages in rationing. For instance, if they were short of tea, you would find a doodle with the phrase 'What, no tea?' written next to it. Any shortage can be brought to everyone's attention."

"How come I've never seen any of them?" Hitch asked.

Moffitt shrugged. "I don't think that they are as widespread as your Kilroy."

"That's a wonder." Tully drawled. "You Brits are short on almost everything, including tea."

"The war has been hard on us." Moffitt agreed with a sad little smile. "We've been at it a lot longer than you Yanks."

The two privates grew quiet at the reminder that the United States had entered the war much later than most of the other countries involved.

"Don't look so down." Moffitt smiled at them. "You're here now and we do appreciate the help."

"Yeah." Tully answered softly, thinking about Dunkirk. "But you guys took a beating in the meantime."

"But you are in it now Tully. Despite what some may say, we are grateful for your help, me especially. If you were not here there would be no Rat Patrol, where would that leave me?"

"So how did Mr. Chad become Kilroy?" Hitch asked, going back to their original topic. There was a mystery here and he wasn't going to let it drop until he knew the answer.

"I have no idea." The sergeant shrugged. "I suppose if I were being completely honest, Mr. Chad may have been borrowed too."

"Huh?"

"I read somewhere that in World War I the Australian troops used to leave graffiti behind saying that 'Foo was here'. I'm not sure if the drawing is the same but the idea is similar. Perhaps it is just one of those ideas that catch on and keep going in different forms."

"So Kilroy was Foo before he became Mr. Chad and then he became Kilroy?" Hitch persisted.

"Something like that." Moffitt admitted.

"Huh." Hitch grunted. "I still like Kilroy."

"You would." Troy grinned. "But enough of the history lesson, I'm hungry."

"So how did he get the name Kilroy?" Hitch asked as he followed the others toward the mess tent.

"I suppose you'll have to ask him." The British sergeant smiled. "I have no idea."

Stumped in solving the mystery, Hitch fell silent.

Once they got their food the talk turned to other things. Kilroy was forgotten as they went over the plan for the next day and Troy made sure they hadn't overlooked anything.

After they left the mess tent Hitch spotted a Kilroy on the back of a water truck that passed them on the street.

Tully spotted one on the side of a canvas bag on the back of a donkey.

"Somebody's been busy." Hitch commented as he popped a bubble and searched for more of the graffiti.

"Not us." Tully answered. "We're not going to get involved in this."

Hitch chewed his gum and didn't reply.

Tully looked over at him but the other private was looking around as he walked and didn't look his way.

"We'll meet at the jeeps at 0600." Troy reminded them before the two groups parted company. "You'd better get those requisitions filled and get them stored in the jeeps. We'll get the map updates and see if there is any new information on the area we'll be crossing."

"Right Sarge." Hitch answered. Tully nodded in response. The four men divided into two groups and each of them went to complete their preparations for the next assignment.

Hitch was in the lead when they returned to the jeeps with the supplies. "Hey!" He yelled indignantly.

"Dang!" Tully added when he spotted the problem. "Somebody had better learn not to touch those jeeps."

The two privates stared in dismay at the chalk drawing of Kilroy on the hoods of their jeeps.

"We'd better clean it off before Sarge sees it." Hitch warned.

"You pack the supplies." Tully agreed. "I'll find a rag and clean them off."

"Who do you suppose drew them on there?" Hitch asked as he finished stowing the supplies and watched as Tully wiped away the last of the lettering from the graffiti.

"Could have been anybody." Tully growled. "It's not like we keep a guard watching our jeeps." He gave a final angry swipe and stepped back.

"Maybe we should."

"The Captain won't assign guards to watch our jeeps on our own base." Tully answered. "We'll just have to spread the word that anybody caught touching these jeeps will answer to us."

"I thought everybody already knew that." Hitch said with a frown.

Tully looked up and smiled, thinking that Hitch sounded an awful lot like Troy at that moment.

"Do you know something I don't?" Hitch asked suspiciously as the smile crossed Tully's face.

"Nope." Tully shook his head in denial.

"Then what are you smiling about?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You remind me of someone."

"Tully." Hitch moaned. "I'm me, who else would I remind you of?"

Tully just grinned and shook his head.

"Whatever."

"I'm done here." Tully announced. "Are you ready to go get some sleep? If we're going to leave at 0600 we're going to need to get up early enough to eat and check the jeeps."

"We just checked the jeeps." Hitch argued. "A quick once over should suffice tomorrow."

"That's if Kilroy doesn't return." Tully agreed. "We'll have to get here before Sarge in case there is another Kilroy on the hoods. We'll have to clean it off before Sarge sees it."

Hitch didn't look happy at the thought but he nodded in agreement. "I'm ready, let's go." Until they were out of sight he kept looking back at the jeeps as if he expected someone to pop up and start drawing on the hoods.

Before they went for breakfast the next morning they checked the jeeps. The graffiti artist hadn't returned. They went over every inch of them to be sure that they were clean. Satisfied, they headed for the mess tent for breakfast. The sergeants still hadn't arrived by the time they were finished so they decided to wait at the jeeps.

Both privates were busily wiping the hoods of their jeeps when Troy and Moffitt walked up.

"What's going on?" Troy asked. "Why are you wiping down the jeeps?"

"They were dusty." Hitch answered lamely.

Troy frowned and waited for his driver to elaborate.

Tully looked up and shrugged. "We thought that they could use a good wipe down."

"That paint isn't going to shine no matter how much you polish it." Troy growled when there was no more explanation. "We don't want it to shine, or have you forgotten that the enemy has planes out there looking for something to strafe and bomb? A nice shiny jeep would make a good target for them to practice on."

"We haven't forgotten." Tully assured him. "They won't shine and give us away. Heck, they'll be dusty again before we've gone a mile."

"Then why bother wiping them down?"

Tully shrugged, looking to Hitch for help.

"We were just wondering what they would look like clean." Troy's driver offered. "We had some extra time and we thought we'd wipe them down and see."

"Right." Troy growled scornfully. Realizing that he wasn't going to get a straight answer he let the matter drop. "Are you done cleaning the jeeps so we can go?"

"Yeah Sarge, we're done." Hitch answered sheepishly.

"Good, then let's shake it." Troy shook his head and glanced at Moffitt who had an amused gleam in his eyes. The other sergeant was trying to hold back his smile. Troy growled again and slid into his seat.

At the first stop to cool the engines Tully waited until the sergeants were too far away to hear. "Sarge didn't fall for our excuses this morning."

"I know." Hitch whispered back. He glanced up to make sure that the sergeants weren't near. I didn't want to tell Sarge that someone chalked graffiti on our jeeps, not just once, but twice."

"Don't look at me, I wasn't going to tell him either."

"He won't like it that someone touched our vehicles. It's a good thing we had it all cleaned off before he showed up."

"That was too close." Tully agreed. "Hitch?"

"Yeah?" Hitch looked up from filling his gas tank.

"You didn't put those Kilroy's on our jeeps did you?"

"Me? No!"

"Just asking." Tully responded as Hitch looked indignant. "You did say you wanted to draw some."

"Yeah, but not on the hood of my jeep!"

"Okay, okay, I was just asking; 'cause if it was you, its okay."

"I didn't do it Tully!"

"Sorry I asked. I believe you."

Hitch shook his head and went back to filling his gas tank.

They spent three days looking for German troop movement to no avail. At the end of the third day they returned to the base. Tully and Hitch took the jeeps to the motor pool while Troy and Moffitt reported to Captain Boggs. As they waited in the hall they could hear the Captain's raised voice through the door.

"What's going on?" Troy asked the Captain's clerk.

The corporal glanced at the closed door and shook his head. "Those 'Kilroy was here' pictures are showing up all over the base. The Captain says he wants it stopped. The MP's haven't managed to catch anyone drawing them yet." The corporal grinned. "I heard he even found one in the shower."

"His private shower?" Moffitt asked in amazement.

"That's the one." The corporal answered. "And while Major Kittrick was visiting yesterday someone drew one on his windshield. The Major laughed it off but the Captain wasn't amused."

"And the MP's haven't caught anyone?" Troy asked.

"Not a one." Corporal Gates grinned.

"I hope the Captain sends us right back out." Troy told Moffitt.

"Why's that?" The corporal asked.

"Because before this is over someone is going to get caught and I don't want Hitch or Tully anywhere around when that happens."

The corporal laughed. "Afraid they might be the ones who get caught?"

"Something like that." Troy agrees. "At least I know they haven't been involved up to this point."

"They do like their practical jokes." Moffitt agreed.

"Yeah, but the Captain sounds like he doesn't find this funny." Troy said in a worried tone.

"Perhaps you should warn them not to get involved." Moffitt suggested.

"Ha! Like that would help." Troy snorted. "They listen, nod their heads, and do it anyway."

"In all fairness Troy, they never do that with anything really important. And I do believe that they truly try to stay out of trouble."

"Just my luck to get saddled with two trouble magnets." Troy groaned, only half in jest.

Moffitt laughed. "You always tell me that we make our own luck."

"So this is my fault?" Troy tried to sound angry or indignant but he couldn't hold back the grin.

The door to the Captain's office flew open and the Captain stomped out. At the sight of the two sergeants he stopped. The MP's following him managed to stop before they ploughed into his back, just barely.

"Troy, glad to see you're back. Tell me you have some good news."

"No activity that we could find Captain." The sergeant reported.

"No activity or none that you could find?" Boggs demanded.

"We did a very extensive search of the sector Sir. If they're out there, they're invisible." Moffitt added.

"Like this ghost we have running around painting graffiti on everything." The Captain huffed. "All right sergeants, come on in."

"We don't want to interrupt Captain." Troy looked pointedly at the MPs.

"We're done here Sergeant." The Captain glared at the MPs. "These gentlemen were on their way out to do their jobs."

The MPs lowered their eyes and rushed past the men in the hall.

"Come in Troy, I need to hear some good news for a change." The Captain led the way into his office and sat down in the chair behind his desk with a sigh.

"Rough day Captain?"

Boggs groaned. "It's that darn graffiti; it's showing up everywhere. A few here and there I don't mind but it's really getting out of hand. There's an inspection next week and I don't think the inspectors are going to find it all that amusing."

"I'm sure that the MPs will catch the ones responsible." Moffitt assured him.

"You know Troy; it's a good thing that you've been off base for the last three days."

"Why's that Sir?"

"Cause if you had been here I might think that those two privates of yours had something to do with this."

"No sir. They were with us the entire time except when they were restocking the jeeps. Then we were off base for the last three days. They aren't involved this time sir."

"I know." Boggs answered. "Lucky for you."

Troy glanced at Moffitt and expected to see relief on his face but all he saw was amusement. As he finished his report on the newly completed assignment he glanced at Moffitt again. "Are we going right back out sir?"

"No, we'll wait a few days before we check that area again. Maybe they just aren't ready to make their move yet. Give your boys the day off. I'll let you know when I need you again."

"We could check the surrounding sectors." Troy suggested.

The Captain looked up sharply. "Did you see something to suggest that there might be something there?"

"No sir."

"Then why do you want to go out again?"

"Just an idea sir."

Boggs smiled tiredly. "Just take the time off Sergeant, you've earned it. I'll be in touch. Dismissed." The Captain waved them off, shooing them out of his office.

"Great. Time off while the MPs are looking for a practical joker."

"Maybe we can find some way to keep the lads busy." Moffitt suggested.

"Any ideas?"

"No." Moffitt admitted.

"Let's go break the news to them." Troy sighed. "And then I'll lay down the law."

As predicted, both privates listened intently as Troy warned them not to get involved in the graffiti epidemic. Then they both nodded that they understood. Troy had a worried look in his eyes as he watched them walk away to return to their quarters.

"They're going to get into trouble."

"Maybe not." Moffitt sighed. "They're just heading to the showers. How much trouble can they get into there?"

"Someone put graffiti in the Captain's personal shower." Troy reminded him.

"But we weren't even on the base when that happened." Moffitt pointed out.

"It's going to become a challenge to see who can put it in the most outlandish place." Troy predicted.

Moffitt opened his mouth to argue but he could picture that happening. Soldiers were nothing if not competitive. Deciding that a change of topic was in order, he turned to Troy. "Are you going to shower before or after you eat?"

Troy frowned at the question. "Before. The food tastes better if it's not all full of sand. Besides, I itch, I want to get clean."

"Then why don't we join the lads and all head over to the showers together?"

"Good idea. Then we can keep an eye on them." Troy set a fast pace to catch up to the younger rats. Moffitt shook his head and followed. He hadn't suggested it as a way to keep tabs on the privates.

Troy was the first one to reach the door to the privates' quarters. He groaned as he stopped in front of it. "We're too late, they've already started." There was graffiti on the wooden frame around the door. Pounding on the door, Troy called to his men. "Hitch, Tully, open up!"

The door swung open and Tully's worried face appeared. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't I tell you two not to draw any graffiti?"

"Yeah." Tully admitted warily. "Why?"

"So how did this get here?"

Tully stepped out into the hall to see what Troy was talking about. "I don't know Sarge. It wasn't there when we got back to our room."

"Where's Hitch?"

"What's going on?" Hitch poked his head out the door.

"Did you see this?" Troy demanded loudly.

Hitch looked at the graffiti and frowned. "No Sarge. It wasn't there when we got here. We would have seen it. Who put it there?"

"That's what I want to know."

The two privates looked at each other and shrugged.

"Beats me Sarge." Hitch answered.

Tully looked toward Hitch and shrugged. "Don't know Sarge."

"If I find out that either one of you had any part in this…"

"Honest Sarge, it wasn't us." Hitchcock protested.

Moffitt interrupted to explain the reason for the visit. "We just came by to walk over to the showers with you. Then we can all go get something to eat. Give us a few minutes to go to our room and get clean clothes and we'll be back." His calm announcement defused the tension in the air.

"We'll wait here for you Doc." Hitch agreed, eyeing Troy warily.

"Wait right here." Troy growled. Turning on his heel he headed for his quarters and clean clothes.

"You were a little rough don't you think?" Moffitt asked quietly as he followed.

"All I can think about is how mad the Captain is about this." Troy admitted. "I don't want the MPs to pick up either of those two for having a part in this. You and I know they haven't done anything, but the MPs might disagree if they catch them anywhere near one of those doodles."

Moffitt didn't say anymore as they gathered their clothes had returned to meet Hitch and Tully. "Ready?" Troy asked as he poked his head in the door.

"Ready Sarge." Tully answered for both of them. Hitch stood up and followed along without saying a word.

There were only three showers open when they arrived so Hitch waited for the next one while the others took their showers. When they were done they waited for him to finish.

"How long did you have to wait for a shower?" Tully asked with a grin.

"Why?" Hitch asked.

"You were long enough in there. I just thought you'd be done sooner is all."

"I wasn't that long." Hitch answered.

Troy's call to go eat broke up the discussion.

The mess hall was buzzing with the latest gossip when they arrived. They listened to the bits of conversations around them as they waited in line.

"The Captain is furious."

"I heard he ordered the MPs to arrest anyone they catch."

"I heard he's considering a court-martial for anyone who gets caught."

"Corporal Gates said the Captain found a Kilroy on the reports delivered to his office."

"One of his aides told me that someone drew a Kilroy on the back of the Captain's chair."

"There was one on the Major's car."

The voices went on and on about the rumors or the latest appearance of the graffiti. Troy shook his head and led the way to an empty table. Taking a seat, he looked at the others. "It sounds like the Captain has reached his breaking point." Keeping his voice low, he looked at Hitch and Tully. "We do not want any part of this. You two steer clear of this, understood?"

"Yeah Sarge." Tully answered.

Hitch nodded silently.

"I mean it!"

"We got it Sarge." Tully insisted. "No graffiti."

"I can't draw worth a darn anyway," Hitch added when Troy stared at him waiting for an answer.

Tully remembered how Hitch had argued earlier that the doodle would be easy to draw. Hitch's unusual silence made him uneasy. He watched as Hitch faced off with the sergeant. Troy seemed to take the comment as an agreement and looked away.

"I just don't want you getting into more trouble than you can handle."

Tully thought about the showers. Hitch had been alone while the others showered and he had been a while after they were done. Had he had time to slip away and do any drawing?

Back at their quarters Tully watched Hitch straighten the gear in his foot locker. He wanted to ask Hitch what was going on but the other private hadn't given him any openings. He hadn't spoken since his encounter with Troy. Tully got up and walked over to talk to him, He was about to ask if something was wrong when something caught his eye. Reaching around Hitch, he pulled the item that had caught his attention out of the locker.

"Why do you need chalk?"

Hitch looked over his shoulder at Tully and frowned. "I had it last week when we were helping load that convoy. I used it to mark the boxes that Sarge wanted to load last."

"Why is it here?"

Hitch shrugged. "I guess I put it in there after we got back. Why?"

Tully dropped the chalk back into the foot locker. "Just curious."

Hitch waited but Tully didn't explain any further. When Tully went back to sit on his bunk Hitch continued to straighten the gear. Once he was finished he closed the foot locker and got to his feet. "I'll be back."

Tully looked up from the book he was reading. "Where are you going?"

"To the latrine. Why, do you want to go along?"

"Why not, I'll keep you company, I don't have anything else to do."

Hitch sighed. "Tully, I don't need company. Believe it or not, I've been going to the bathroom all by myself for quite some time now. I can even fasten my pants when I'm done." Hitch looked at Tully with a concerned frown. "What's going on Tully? Why the sudden need to be my shadow?"

"I don't have anything else to do." Tully answered lamely.

"You've been saying how you couldn't wait to get some time to finish that book. Does this have anything to do with that chalk?"

"No."

"Tully, the chalk is in my foot locker. You can check if you want." Hitch headed for the door, leaving Tully at a loss for words.

After Hitch left Tully stared at the foot locker for several minutes. He wanted to believe his friend but he also wanted to see the chalk for himself. Trust finally won out and he flopped back on his bunk to worry until Hitch returned.

Hitch was gone much longer than it took to go to the latrines and back. Tully tried to figure out just how long it should take. He trusted Hitch, he really did, but they both had this habit of getting into trouble even with the best intentions. He was trying to calculate the distance to and from the latrines when he realized how silly he was being. Snorting at his own foolishness, he reached for the book by his bed. He was nearly finished with a third chapter when Hitch returned. He looked up as the door opened. His smile died when he saw the other private's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Hitch answered, his eyes going to the foot locker.

"Hitch?"

"Did you check for the chalk?"

"No, why should I? I trust you Hitch."

Hitch snorted angrily. "You're the only one. I was talking to some guy I ran into on the street. He was asking about that convoy we escorted last week."

"So?"

"So when I looked up Sarge was standing near a vendor's booth watching me. I think he's spying on me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe he thinks I had something to do with all this graffiti that's showing up all over the base." Hitch shook his head like it made no sense.

"Did you?"

"No!" Hitch's eyes blazed with hurt. "Is that what you think too?"

"You sounded like you wanted to get in on it." Tully shrugged.

"And Sarge told us in no uncertain terms to stay out of it! I wouldn't risk my place on the team for some stupid graffiti!"

Tully shrugged. "Tell him that."

"I shouldn't have to." Hitch lowered his voice. "I thought he trusted us. We said we wouldn't do anything." Hitch hung his head. "Or maybe it's me he doesn't trust; he's not following you."

"I haven't gone anywhere." Tully answered reasonably. "Maybe he would if I left by myself."

"No." Hitch sounded sullen. "No, it's me he doesn't trust. He doesn't think I can stay out of trouble."

"Did you ask him why he was watching you?"

"I didn't want him to know that I saw him."

"So you aren't going to give him a chance to explain himself?" Tully put his book aside and sat up. "Maybe he had a good reason. Maybe it wasn't even you he was watching."

Hitch didn't look convinced.

"Talk to him Hitch. At least let him explain. Then if you want to get mad you'll know you're getting mad for the right reason. You don't even know what you're mad about."

"I know why I'm mad!" Hitch hissed.

"Maybe not as mad as you are hurt?" Tully suggested.

"Darn it Tully!" Hitch turned and stormed out of the room.

Tully rose to follow but sat back as he realized that he had already done enough damage. Asking about the chalk had been an error on his part.

A knock on the door woke him from a restless nap. "Come on in."

Troy pushed the door open and walked in. Looking around the room, he frowned at Tully. "Where's Hitch?"

"I don't know. Weren't you watching him?" Tully responded as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Me? Watching him?" Troy looked confused. "Why would I be watching him?"

"He said he was being watched."

"By who? Who would be watching him?"

Tully shrugged a shoulder and pulled a matchstick from his pocket. "He said he saw you watching him while he was talking to some guy on the street." Tully saw Troy's brows pinch together in confusion.

"When?"

"Earlier today. After we got back from the mess hall he went to the latrines and stopped to talk to some guy. He saw you standing next to a vendor's stand watching him."

Troy looked over at Moffitt. "I didn't see him. Moffitt and I were following one of the clerks from the Captain's office. We thought he might be the one painting the graffiti. I figured that if we could catch him in the act the Captain would be in a better mood."

"Hitch thought you were following him."

"Did you tell him he was wrong?"

Tully shook his head. "I didn't know what you were doing Sarge." Troy growled in frustration. "I did tell him to ask you what was going on. I told him he should ask you why you were there before he got mad about it."

"But? I hear a 'but' there Tully."

"I think he was more hurt than mad Sarge. He thinks that you think he had something to do with all of this graffiti and that you don't trust him to stay out of trouble."

"I warned you to stay out of it. I expect you to follow orders. I only warned you because I know how much you two like your practical jokes."

"Yeah Sarge," Tully drawled, "but we'd never risk our place on the team for a practical joke. Hitch was quick to make that clear when I ask him about some chalk in his foot locker."

"Chalk?"

"He used it to mark some boxes while we were helping to load that convoy last week. He put it in his foot locker and I saw it. I asked him about it." Tully looked embarrassed about the confession.

Troy glanced over at the foot locker.

"Hitch says it's still in there. I believe him." Tully drawled quietly. He waited to see if Troy would open the foot locker to see for himself. He didn't.

"So where is he?"

"I don't know. I called him out on being more hurt than mad and he walked out. I figured that I had already done enough damage so I didn't follow."

The sergeants exchanged a worried frown.

"You don't think he'd do something foolish to get even, do you?"

"What's wrong Sarge?" Tully asked, jumping to his feet. "What happened?"

"The MPs caught someone for all of the graffiti. Rumor has it the Captain is going to throw the book at him. Apparently the guy drew a Kilroy on the lens of a flashlight and pointed the light at the Captain's bedroom window while the Captain was trying to sleep."

"Ut-oh."

"Tully?"

"Hitch told me about some guy in high school who drew lips on the lens of a flashlight and pointed it at his girlfriend's bedroom window."

Troy's shoulders slumped at the news.

"But he said he wouldn't risk his place on the team." Tully reminded them. "You ordered us to stay out of it."

"Let's hope he remembered that." Moffitt spoke for the first time. "If he was feeling hurt he may have lashed out."

"No." Tully answered. "He wanted to draw a Kilroy but after you ordered us not to I think he gave up on the idea."

"We'd better find him."

"Where do we begin?" Moffitt wondered aloud.

"I have no idea." Troy admitted. "Hitch in combat mode I can handle. Hitch moping, that's a whole different story."

They met in front of the motor pool after two and a half hours of fruitless searching. No one they had asked had seen him.

"He wouldn't have taken a jeep and gone anywhere?" Moffitt asked.

"He couldn't get out the gate without a pass." Troy answered. "Maybe we need to check with the MPs."

"Sarge, he said he wouldn't." Tully argued.

"He may have gotten himself in trouble for something else." Troy reasoned. "A fight, drunk and disorderly."

"We would have heard something." Moffitt said.

"Then where is he?"

"Let's make sure both jeeps are there." Moffitt suggested.

"All right." Troy agreed. "I really don't want to involve the MPs."

As they approached the jeeps Tully stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong Tully?"

"There." Tully pointed at the jeeps. "He's there."

Hitch woke up to find the other three members of his team standing over him.

"What the devil are you doing?" Troy demanded angrily. "We've been hunting all over for you!" All the worry and frustration of the last several hours made his voice rough.

"I was keeping an eye on the jeeps and I guess I fell asleep." Hitch answered.

"Why were you keeping an eye on the jeeps?"

"So no one would paint any more graffiti on them." Hitch clamped his mouth shut as he realized what he's said.

"What are you talking about?" Troy growled.

"Someone chalked graffiti on the hoods two days in a row." Tully hurried to explain. "We cleaned it off before you and Doc got here to see it."

Troy relaxed as understanding took the place of confusion.

"That's why you were wiping the hoods down when we arrived." Moffitt guessed.

"Yeah, we didn't want you getting all upset because somebody messed with out jeeps." Tully explained. "We went over every inch of them to make sure that they didn't do anything else."

Turning back to Hitch, Troy's voice softened. "You didn't want them to do it again?"

"I figured with all of the places it was showing up, they might try again." Hitch mumbled.

Troy nodded. "Moffitt and I were in the market earlier today trying to catch a suspect in the act."

Hitch lowered his head.

"Unfortunately we couldn't catch him doing anything but I still think Private Loren is a prime suspect." Troy continued as if he hadn't noticed.

"Private Loren?"

"Yeah. He clerks for the office right next to the Captains. He had access to all of the reports that are delivered to the Captain and he could have gotten to the Captain's private shower. He would have known about the Major's visit before it happened and arranged to draw the Kilroy on the car. We were hoping to catch him drawing one but he lost us in the market."

"Then you weren't following me?" Hitch asked.

"You? We didn't even see you." Troy admitted.

"Hitch, you said you wouldn't get involved. We believed you." Moffitt added.

"All right." Troy sighed. "Maybe we were worried for a bit there that you might go ahead and get in on it, but once you said you wouldn't, we trusted you to keep your word."

Hitch looked around at all of the guilty looking faces. "You did think I was involved?"

"Only at the very beginning." Troy protested. "Not after our little talk."

"You do like your little pranks." Moffitt added.

"But I wouldn't risk getting kicked off the team."

"We know that Hitch." Troy answered. "We were just worried. If we had considered that at the beginning we could have saved ourselves a lot of worry."

"Do I have to remind you the next time?"

Troy answered Hitch's teasing tone with a smile. "No, I think we got it. But I won't promise not to worry about you."

Hitch just smiled.

"Let's turn in." Troy suggested. "Captain Boggs wants us to blow up some armored vehicles tomorrow."

"I'm not tired." Hitch answered.

"Hitch!"

"Okay, okay, just to keep the peace. I don't want you guys worrying about me. You need your rest."

The following night found them crawling around under the bellies of a German armored column. Hitch planted the last of his explosives and rolled under the next vehicle. After a quick check for the guards he rolled again to slide under the next one in line. Since they hadn't brought enough charges to put on every vehicle there was a chance that this one would be repairable after the attack. He flipped over onto his back and got to work.

They were back at the jeeps before the charges began to detonate. Troy ordered them to move before the Germans could launch a search for them. As the jeeps sped away into the night Hitch hoped that the last halftrack he had rolled under had not been completely destroyed. He didn't care if the mechanics could repair it or not. He just wanted them to check every inch of it for damage. He smiled in the dark as he drove. He could just picture the look on their faces when they found the graffiti on the belly of the halftrack. He thought he had done a very nice job of drawing the little figure with the big nose. The Germans probably wouldn't be able to read the writing but they would know that Kilroy was there. He reached into his pocket and threw the piece of chalk out into the desert.

Author's note: Although the British had Mr. Chad, Kilroy is American. It is believed that his real name was James J, Kilroy. He worked as an inspector at the Bethlehem Steel shipping yards in Quincy, Massachusetts. As he explained it, he would often conduct an inspection while the crew was busy somewhere else. They could not continue until he passed their work and would have him inspect it again while they were there. To avoid the lost time he took to writing 'Kilroy was here' so that they would know the work had passed his inspection. Since the freedom ships were being sent out as fast as they were finished, sometimes parts of them didn't get painted. The sailors and soldiers who rode in the ships would find the inspection notes scattered around the ships. Kilroy became the super soldier who always appeared ahead of the others to lead the way. No one is sure when or where the drawing was first added. It's quite possible that we did indeed borrow Mr. Chad from the British and give him a new identity. There are other explanations for the doodle but this seems to be the most widely accepted one.


End file.
